31.8.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 251/1

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Euro exchange rates (1)

30 August 2013

2013/C 251/01

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,3235
JPY	Japanese yen	130,01
DKK	Danish krone	7,4594
GBP	Pound sterling	0,85395
SEK	Swedish krona	8,7503
CHF	Swiss franc	1,2310
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	8,0905
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	25,735
HUF	Hungarian forint	300,78
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,7028
PLN	Polish zloty	4,2633
RON	Romanian leu	4,4320
TRY	Turkish lira	2,6868
AUD	Australian dollar	1,4820
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,3936
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	10,2627
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,7041
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,6867
KRW	South Korean won	1 468,90
ZAR	South African rand	13,6670
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	8,0979
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,5683
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	14 918,52
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	4,3554
PHP	Philippine peso	58,996
RUB	Russian rouble	44,0050
THB	Thai baht	42,557
BRL	Brazilian real	3,1122
MXN	Mexican peso	17,6158
INR	Indian rupee	87,8470

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(1)  Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

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31.8.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 251/2

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Opinion of the Advisory Committee on restrictive agreements and dominant position given at its meeting of 22 March 2013 regarding a draft decision relating to Case AT.39727 — CEZ

Rapporteur: Cyprus

2013/C 251/02

1.	The Advisory Committee shares the Commission's concerns expressed in its preliminary assessment under Article 102 of the Treaty and Article 54 of the EEA Agreement in June 2012.

2.	The Advisory Committee agrees with the Commission that the proceedings can be concluded by means of a decision pursuant to article 9(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003.

3.	The Advisory Committee agrees with the Commission that, in light of the commitments offered by CEZ, there are no longer grounds for action by the Commission, without prejudice to Article 9(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003.

4.	The Advisory Committee agrees with the Commission that the commitments offered by CEZ are suitable, necessary and proportionate and should be made legally binding on CEZ.

5.	The Advisory Committee recommends the publication of its opinion in the Official Journal of the European Union.

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31.8.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 251/3

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Final report of the Hearing Officer (1)

(AT.39727 — CEZ)

2013/C 251/03

(1)	On 11 July 2011, the Commission decided to open proceedings against ČEZ a.s. (‘CEZ’) for alleged abuse of dominance on the market for generation and wholesale supply of electricity in the Czech Republic.

(2)

A preliminary assessment was adopted by the Commission on 26 June 2012 pursuant to Article 9(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 (2) and notified to CEZ on 28 June 2012. The preliminary assessment concluded that as the dominant undertaking on the market for generation and wholesale supply of electricity in the Czech Republic, CEZ may have pursued a strategy of preventing new entry into such market by making pre-emptive reservation in the electricity transmission network. This conduct raised concerns as to its compatibility with Article 102 TFEU and Article 54 of the EEA Agreement.

(3)

On 3 July 2012, CEZ submitted a first commitment proposal to address the concerns raised by the Commission in its preliminary assessment. On 10 July 2012, the Commission published a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union in accordance with Article 27(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003, summarising the case, the commitments and inviting third parties to submit comments on CEZ's proposal (3). In response to the notice, the Commission received seven observations from interested third parties. CEZ submitted a revised commitment proposal on 9 October 2012.

(4)

By letter of 30 October 2012, the Commission informed the complainant in this case that it does not intend to conduct a further investigation into the allegation that CEZ infringes EU competition law and granted it four weeks to submit written comments. On 31 October 2012, the complainant requested access to certain documents on which the Commission has based its provisional assessment, and on 26 November 2012 it submitted written comments.

(5)	In view of additional information received by the Commission, including the complainant's written comments, raising doubts as to the suitability of one of the assets to be divested to solve the competition concerns, CEZ submitted an amended commitments proposal on 6 March 2013.

(6)	In its decision pursuant to Article 9(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003, the Commission makes the commitments offered by CEZ binding upon it and concludes that in light of the commitments offered, there are no longer grounds for action on its part.

(7)	I have not received so far any request or complaint from any party to the proceedings in the present case (4). In view thereof, I consider that the effective exercise of the procedural rights of all parties in this case has been respected.

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(1)  Pursuant to Articles 16 and 17 of Decision 2011/695/EU of the President of the European Commission of 13 October 2011 on the function and terms of reference of the hearing officer in certain competition proceedings (OJ L 275, 20.10.2011, p. 29) (‘Decision 2011/695/EU’).

(2)  Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 of 16 December 2002 on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty (OJ L 1, 4.1.2003, p. 1).

(3)  Communication from the Commission published pursuant to Article 27(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 in Case 39727 — CEZ (OJ C 202, 10.7.2012, p. 1).

(4)  In accordance with Article 15(1) of Decision 2011/695/EU, parties to the proceedings offering commitments pursuant to Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 may call upon the hearing officer at any stage of the procedure in order to ensure the effective exercise of their procedural rights.

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31.8.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 251/4

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Summary of Commission Decision

of 10 April 2013

relating to a proceeding under Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 54 of the EEA Agreement

(Case AT.39727 — CEZ)

(notified under document C(2013) 1997 final)

(Only the English text is authentic)

2013/C 251/04

On 10 April 2013, the Commission adopted a decision relating to a proceeding under Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 54 of the EEA Agreement. In accordance with the provisions of Article 30 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003  (1), the Commission herewith publishes the names of the parties and the main content of the decision, including any penalties imposed, having regard to the legitimate interest of undertakings in the protection of their business secrets.

1.   INTRODUCTION

(1)

The case concerns the company ČEZ, a.s. (‘CEZ’). The adoption of the decision makes legally binding upon CEZ the commitments which the company proposed following the Commission's preliminary findings that CEZ may have abused its dominant position on the Czech market for generation and wholesale supply of electricity. The concern of the Commission was that CEZ may have prevented new market entry by means of making a pre-emptive reservation in the Czech electricity transmission network.

2.   PROCEDURE

(2)

On 11 July 2011, the Commission opened proceedings with a view to adopting a decision under Chapter III of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 and on 26 June 2012, adopted a preliminary assessment as referred to in Article 9(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 which set out the Commission’s preliminary competition concerns; these related to CEZ's pre-emptive reservation made in the Czech electricity transmission network which may have prevented competitors from entering the market for generation and wholesale supply of electricity.

(3)	This preliminary assessment was notified to CEZ on 28 June 2012.

(4)	On 3 July 2012, CEZ submitted commitments to the Commission in response to the preliminary assessment.

(5)

On 10 July 2012, a notice was published in the Official Journal of the European Union pursuant to Article 27(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 (2), summarising the case and the commitments and inviting interested third parties to give their observations on the commitments within one month following publication.

(6)	On 6 March 2013, CEZ submitted an amended commitment proposal.

3.   THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED IN THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT

(7)

According to the preliminary assessment the relevant product market was considered to be generation and wholesale supply of electricity and the geographic market was considered to be national. Further, the Commission took the preliminary view that CEZ was, during the relevant period of time, dominant on the market for generation and wholesale supply of electricity in the Czech Republic.

(8)

In the preliminary assessment, the Commission raised the concern that CEZ may have abused its dominant position on the market for generation and wholesale supply of electricity in the Czech Republic. More specifically, CEZ may have pursued a strategy of preventing new market entry. As part of that strategy, in January 2007, CEZ may have made a potentially pre-emptive reservation in the Czech electricity transmission system.

(9)	The reservation made by CEZ referred to two alternative projects: lignite-fired or gas-fired capacity. However, according to the Commission's preliminary conclusion, this reservation did not correspond to genuine generation projects.

(10)

As a result of CEZ's potentially pre-emptive reservation, the available transmission capacity which could have been otherwise used by CEZ' competitors was exhausted. Consequently, CEZ's competitors could have been prevented from access to the transmission network system, an input indispensable for every large scale electricity generator.

4.   THE COMMITMENTS AND THE MARKET TEST

(11)

CEZ did not agree with the Commission's preliminary assessment. Nevertheless, it offered commitments, the key element of which were as follows: — CEZ will divest one of the following generation assets to a suitable purchaser to be approved by the Commission and which must not raise prima facie competition concerns: — Pocerady lignite-fired power plant (1 000 MW), — Chvaletice lignite-fired power plant (800 MW), — Detmarovice coal-fired power plant (800 MW), — Melnik III lignite-fired power plant (500 MW) and Tisova lignite-fired power plants (Tisova I — 184 MW and Tisova II — 112 MW); both power plants (Melnik III and Tisova) can be sold separately. — CEZ may not, for a period of 10 years, acquire direct or indirect influence over the divested generation asset.

(12)

The observations received in response to the market test notice pursuant to Article 27(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 raised some doubts as to the suitability of the Detmarovice power plant to meet the identified competition concerns. In order to take account of the results of the market test, CEZ removed the Detmarovice power plant from the list of proposed commitments. In addition, the observation received identified a limited number of technical and/or legal issues which could have impact on the operation of individual power plants. The commitments were clarified accordingly to take those comments into account.

(13)	CEZ submitted an amended version of the commitments on 6 March 2013.

5.   PROPORTIONALITY OF THE FINAL COMMITMENTS

(14)	The commitments in their final form are sufficient to address the concerns identified by the Commission in its preliminary assessments without being disproportionate.

(15)

Given that the conduct which gave rise to the Commission's concerns consisted of pre-emptive booking of transmission capacity which in turn effectively prevented or at least delayed new entry into the Czech electricity market, transfer of some of CEZ's generation capacity to a competitor represents a clear-cut solution to the identified competition concerns. Transfer of generation capacity is necessary in this case as no other type of remedy can effectively address the effects of CEZ's conduct.

6.   CONCLUSION

(16)	The decision makes the commitments binding on CEZ.

(17)	CEZ's compliance with the conditions and obligations under the commitments is to be monitored by a trustee independent from CEZ and approved by the Commission.

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(1)  OJ L 1, 4.1.2003, p. 1.

(2)  OJ C 202, 10.7.2012, p. 1.

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31.8.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 251/6

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Prior notification of a concentration

(Case COMP/M.7012 — JBS/Seara/Zenda)

Candidate case for simplified procedure

(Text with EEA relevance)

2013/C 251/05

1.

On 22 August 2013, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking JBS SA (Brazil), indirectly controlled by the Batista family, acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation control of the whole of the undertakings Seara Holding (Europe) BV (Netherlands), Secculum Participações Ltda (Brazil), União Frederiquense Participações (Brazil), Baumhardt Com. e Part. Ltda (Brazil), Excelsior Alimentos SA (Brazil), Athena Alimentos SA (Brazil) (together referred to as ‘Seara’) and Columbus Netherlands BV (‘Zenda’, Netherlands) by way of purchase of shares.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are: — JBS SA is active in the production of beef products, hides and other cattle parts, as well as ready-to-eat meals in Brazil, Argentina, the United States and Australia. JBS also has activities in pork and poultry. It exports its products, among others, to the EEA, — Seara is primarily active in the rearing of live chickens and pigs for slaughter and in the production of primary and processed chicken and pork products in Brazil. Seara exports primary chicken and certain processed chicken to the EEA, — Zenda is active in the leather industry, producing leather for use in various sectors, including aircraft, automotive, furniture and shoes.

3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the EC Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved. Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under the EC Merger Regulation (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission. Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 22964301), by email to COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu or by post, under reference number COMP/M.7012 — JBS/Seara/Zenda, to the following address: European Commission Directorate-General for Competition Merger Registry 1049 Bruxelles/Brussel BELGIQUE/BELGIË

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(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘EC Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 56, 5.3.2005, p. 32 (‘Notice on a simplified procedure’).

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31.8.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 251/8

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Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2013/C 251/06

This publication confers the rights to object to the application pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographic indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs  (2)

‘DAUJĖNŲ NAMINĖ DUONA’

EC No: LT-PGI-0005-01059-28.11.2012

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name

‘Daujėnų naminė duona’

2.   Member State or Third Country

Republic of Lithuania

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 2.4.

Bread, pastry, cakes, confectionary, biscuits and other baker's wares

3.2.   Description of product to which the name in point 1 applies

The PGI ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ is a brown rye bread manufactured entirely at home in accordance with a traditional method. Rye flour dough is slowly leavened by spontaneous fermentation in a wooden trough which must be made entirely of oak, or in a trough with an oak base and side panels, and the bread is baked over live coals or in a hearth oven.

Shape

Loaves are oval or rectangular.

Weight

Oval loaves: 4 kg to 4,5 kg.

Rectangular loaves: 4,5 kg to 10 kg.

Appearance

Depends on use. Loaves of bread for everyday eating have a smooth surface, whereas festive (special occasion) loaves are decorated with special inscriptions, festive ornaments or floral motifs made from pieces of rye dough.

The surface may be baked quite dark, with visible cracks.

Crust thickness — regardless of form of loaves, crust thickness at top up to 6 mm, and underneath up to 4 mm. Crust colour — brown to dark brown.

The crumb of the cooked, cooled loaf is light brown in colour, elastic, porous, with no signs of non-dispersion, no cavities or denser pockets, quite sticky, with caraway seeds visible in places

Physical and chemical characteristics

Crumb moisture — up to 43 %.

Crumb acidity — maximum 11 degrees (titration acidity).

Crumb porosity — minimum 57 %.

Flavour, aroma

The bread is characterised by a pleasant flavour typical of this type of bread, with a rich aroma and sweet-and-sour flavour.

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

—	sifted rye flour at a temperature of 20-22 °C,

—	drinking water,

—

sugar,

—	table salt,

—	caraway seeds,

—	natural leavening agent present in the dough trough.

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

—

3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All production steps must take place in the identified geographical area:

—	batch mixing,

—	fermenting of the mixture,

—	kneading of the dough,

—	shaping of bread loaves by hand,

—	baking of the bread over hot ashes or in a hearth oven,

—	cooling of the bread (12 hours minimum).

3.6.   Special rules on slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

Cooled loaves of ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ of various sizes are packaged whole or sliced. Oval loaves are cut in half or quarters. Rectangular loaves are cut into pieces weighing between 400 g and 450 g. Whole loaves or cut pieces are packed in film or paper bags designed for the packaging of bread.

3.7.   Special rules concerning labelling

In accordance with the specifications published for this product, manufacturers of this product may use the name ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ on labels for advertising and marketing purposes.

The label must bear the following:

—	the exact name and address of the manufacturer,

—	the words ‘saugoma geografinė nuoroda’ (‘protected geographic indication’) and/or the European Union symbol.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

Administrative boundaries of the Daujėnai civil parish.

5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

Rye bread has been baked in the bread ovens of Daujėnai civil parish since the 17th century. Every farmer baked bread for his own family's needs, and had all the necessary equipment — millstones for grinding grain, wooden (oak) dough troughs for fermenting dough, a clay bread oven and wooden peels. Everything was home-made, kept in the family and passed on to the next generation. Surviving breadmaking utensils (bread ovens, wooden dough troughs, peels) belong to individual families to this day, and can also be found in museums. These deeply rooted traditions of breadmaking, which were developed over long periods of time and survive to this day, were unaffected by the rapid ubiquitous expansion of industrial breadmaking at the end of the 19th century and in the 20th century. When at the end of the 20th century the conditions came about for the manufacture of this commodity for retail, the marketing of ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ began (in 1995), and the baking of this bread at home has become a family business that has not left the confines of the household.

In the product name, the word ‘naminė’ means ‘home-made’, whilst the word ‘Daujėnų’ is a proper noun.

The bread's specific qualities have been improved over the many years of its production. Although guidebooks and literature do not describe how to make this product, which has close ties with the area designated in Section 4 above, details of how to make it and the practical skills needed to do so have been handed down from generation to generation within individual families.

The bread produced in this geographical location owes its uniqueness to information compiled by the women that have traditionally run the households, traditional recipes and the use of traditional production methods that employ surviving or home-made authentic equipment that has been kept within the family. These closely guarded secrets determine the quality and taste of the bread. One of the most important guarantors of quality is the kneading trough and the residual acid in it. Then there is the related tradition of not lending a kneading trough to another household, thus ensuring that the lending household does not remove the bread acid, so preventing the starter being lost to that household. Another secret is fermentation length and mixing time, which the maker determines on the basis of his or her own knowledge and experience.

To date, all individuals involved in the production of this type of bread are descendants of families resident in the area mentioned in Section 4 above and who have baked bread at home from one generation to the next.

5.2.   Specificity of the product

The distinctive quality of this bread is due to a little-changed ancient production method involving careful manual work, careful attention to detail, experience and understanding. The entire production process follows the traditional method — the batch of bread is mixed and the rye flour dough is leavened slowly by spontaneous fermentation in a wooden trough which should be made entirely of oak or with an oak base and side panels. The oak wood ensures that the acid is retained in the wooden sides of the kneading trough, which gives it its specific taste. This is why the oak utensils are used for more than a hundred years and passed down from generation to generation.

‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ differs from other types of bread in terms of the size of loaf (loaf weight 4-10 kg) and its special qualities.

Another feature of this bread is that use is made only of rye flour, which is fermented in an oak kneading trough. This means the bread stays fresh for a long time (two weeks) and does not become stale. The longer storage time does not impair its flavour, which comes out on the second day after baking.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

The link between ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ and the geographical location is based on its reputation and the ability of individuals to produce bread having the characteristics designated in Section 5.2.

The reputation of ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ is basically attributable to an unchanged tradition of breadmaking which has been handed down from one generation to the next in the Daujėnai region and which ensures a consistent, unique product that is trusted by consumers.

The reputation of ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ can be judged from the regular appearance of this product at exhibitions, trade fairs and festivals, from the award of prizes and accolades, and from articles in the press and media:

—

this bread has represented Lithuania at a number of world fairs: at the 2002 Biofach exhibition in Nuremburg, Germany, from 2003 at the ‘Green week’ exhibitions in Berlin; in 2004 at the international exhibition of food and drink ‘Expo dei sapori’ in Milan, Italy; at the Polagra-food exhibition in Poznań, Poland; at the 2006 international exhibition of agriculture and food ‘Zolotaja osen’ in Moscow and elsewhere,

—	‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ loaves beautifully decorated with letters or other festive embellishments are the adornment and symbol of festivals across the Daujėnai region, be they village, school or church fêtes, Whitsuntide festivals, etc.,

—	highly ornate loaves of ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ also feature at family festivals as table decorations at weddings, christenings and anniversaries and as symbols of family strength, fidelity, fertility and humility,

—	‘Daujėnų namine duona’ is served to guests at various fairs, folk festivals and the like.

Since 2002, ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ has been recognised as a culinary heritage product, and holds a certificate issued by the ‘Culinary heritage fund’ government body. In 2008 it was awarded the AgroBalt gold medal, that same year being awarded a diploma at the ‘Best Lithuanian bread’ competition organised jointly by the Kaunas University of Technology's food institute and the Ministry of Agriculture. In 2009 it was certified as a national heritage product, receiving a national heritage certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture.

‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ is regularly recognised and its reputation confirmed in articles and items in the regional, national and foreign press: ‘Households baking bread in clay ovens’ (Darbas, 1995, No 88); ‘A cosy neighbourhood of flowers’ (Darbas, 1996, No 92); ‘Saimeta (local company founded in 1995) bread to be enjoyed by the French too’ (Darbas, 1997, No 59); ‘Farmer bogged down in business’ (Panevėžio rytas, 1998, No 160); ‘The ever-present aroma of festive baking in Saimeta’ (Darbas, 1999, No 11); ‘After selling her cows, she's now baking bread’ (Panevėžio rytas, 2000, No 39); ‘Rustic bread tastier?’ (Geras skonis. Gastronomija, gėrimai, vartojimo kultūra, 2000, No 1); ‘Thriving Daujėnai village bakery owner Vita Stankevičienė offers several dozen types of granary product’ (Alytaus naujienos, 2000, No 2008); ‘Sweden interested in Daujėnai bread’ (Lietuvos aidas, 2000, No 104); ‘Turns in and rises with trepidation’ (Lietuvos aidas, 2001, No 262); ‘Saimeta shop sells bread and bakery products with no chemical additives’ (Santarvė, 2001, No 144); ‘Bread brings fame to Daujėnai’ (Respublika, 2002, No 68); ‘Mother's recipe made daughter famous’ (Lietuvos žinios, 2003, No 36); ‘Live grain in Daujėnai bread’ (Laikas, 21 November 2003); ‘Lithuania surprises even the most demanding of visitors to Green week international expo’ (Ūkininko patarėjas, 2003, No 10); ‘President praises village-baked bread’ (XXI Amžius, 2003, No 40); ‘Firm driven by single-minded commitment’ (Aukštaitijos verslo balsas, 2004, No 24); ‘Storm of success in Berlin’ (Darbas, 2004, No 19); ‘Gold medal for Daujėnai home baked bread’ (Darbas, 2008, No 115); ‘New phase of AgroBalt — between West and East’ (Ūkininko patarėjas, 2008, No 114); ‘AgroBalt festival for producers and consumers’ (Valstietis, 7 October 2008); ‘How Vitalija Stankevičienė put Daujėnai on the map’ (Respublika, 2010, No 85); ‘Daujėnai bread puts Lithuania on the map — a family tradition’ (Ūkininko patarėjas, 2011, No 40); ‘Green week — flavours and aromas from around the world’ (Voruta, 21 January 2011).

The production of ‘Daujėnai naminė duona’ is billed as one of this geographical area's special features in promotional literature aimed at tourists (‘Путешествуем по Пасвальскому краю. Туристическая карта района’; ‘Lithuanian food export’, 1998; May; ‘Brown bread from Daujėnai’, LŽ. Trademark Lithuania. Lietuviškas ženklas, 2000, No 2). The popularity of ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ bread can also be adduced from special agricultural reports on TV such as BTV's ‘Between town and country’ (7 December 2008) and TV3's ‘On farms and bees’ (31 January 2009).

According to the findings of a consumer survey carried out in 2010, four out of five respondents associated Daujėnai with ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’ (2010 consumer survey carried out by the government body ‘Culinary heritage fund’). The survey showed that consumers recognise ‘Daujėnų naminė duona’, look for it in shops and enjoy it as an everyday bread product, whilst people are keen to take the decorated loaves with them abroad as festive ornaments, gifts and souvenirs.

Reference to publication of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))

http://www.zum.lt/l.php?tmpl_into[0]=index&tmpl_name[0]=m_site_index163&tmpl_into[1]=middle&tmpl_id[1]=2945

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3)  Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

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31.8.2013

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 251/13

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Publication of an application pursuant to Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2013/C 251/07

This publication confers the right to oppose the application, pursuant to Article 51 of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs  (2)

‘GOFIO CANARIO’

EC No: ES-PGI-0005-0942-24.01.2012

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1.   Name

‘Gofio Canario’

2.   Member State or third country

Spain

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Type of product

Class 1.6.

Fruit, vegetables and cereals, fresh or processed

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in point 1 applies

‘Gofio Canario’ is the product made in the Canary Island archipelago by milling roasted grain, with or without the addition of sea salt. Sometimes Gofio may also contain pulses, which are processed in the same way as the cereals.

Physical and organoleptic characteristics

‘Gofio Canario’ is a powdered solid that resembles flour and the particle size is similar to that of wholemeal flours.

It has the following organoleptic characteristics:

—	Visual: the colour ranges from ivory yellow, though honey-coloured, to dark reddish, depending on the degree of roasting and the raw material used.

—	Smell: roasted, vegetal and nutty aromas with medium-high intensity, depending on the raw material used.

—	Taste: smoothness, adhesiveness in the mouth and flavours that depend on the degree of roasting, such as mocha, coffee or freshly baked biscuits.

—	Feel: distinct sensation of smoothness and adhesiveness, due to particle size.

Chemical characteristics

—	Protein: minimum 7 %

—	Minimum crude fibre: 1,5 %

—	Carbohydrate: minimum 45 %

—	Fat: maximum 5 %

3.3.   Raw materials (for processed products only)

—	Cereals: wheat, maize, barley, rye, oats, rice

—	Legumes: broad beans, chick peas, soya

—

Sea salt

3.4.   Feed (for products of animal origin only)

—

3.5.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the defined geographical area

First stage: cleaning This involves cleaning the grains and/or pulses used as raw material, in order to remove small pieces of plant material, broken grains or other foreign matter. The cleaning is done mechanically, either using winnowing machines which may operate with a forced current of air, or using cernideras or zarandas (manual sieves).

Second stage: roasting and cooling Using roasting machines the raw material is heated without the temperature exceeding 200 °C. The roasted product is then left to cool down to ambient temperature in bags or cooling boxes. The cooling process may be accelerated using open conveyor belts or forced airing.

Third stage: milling Milling is a crucial step in the gofio production process. The roasted grain is taken to the milling area, where it is milled. The miller himself decides when milling should stop, by tactile examination of the product. When the product has the right combination of smoothness and adhesiveness, milling stops. Organoleptic checks are performed by the master miller before the product is packaged, and the results recorded.

Fourth stage: packaging The gofio thus obtained is kept in storage facilities until it is packaged, which is done automatically, semi-automatically or manually.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.

Gofio, a dry, powdery solid with pronounced organoleptic characteristics, must be packaged as soon as possible after roasting and milling, so the final product must be packaged in the Canary Islands in order to safeguard quality.

3.7.   Specific rules concerning labelling

The European Union PGI logo and the name ‘Gofio Canario’ must appear prominently on the label.

Gofio covered by the Protected Geographical Indication intended for consumption must bear a numbered secondary label. The numbering is authorised and checked by the inspection body. In all cases the label must be affixed prior to marketing and in such a way as to make reuse impossible.

The island and area of production and the origin of the raw material may be mentioned on the label.

If the gofio has been stone-ground, the words ‘artisanal’ or ‘stone-ground’ may appear on the label.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

PGI ‘Gofio Canario’ is produced in the Canary Islands archipelago.

The Canary Islands archipelago is situated in the temperate North Atlantic zone, between 27° 37′ and 29° 25′ north (subtropical location) and 13° 20′ and 18° 10′ west of Greenwich. The African coast is 100 km from the nearest island and 500 km from the island that is furthest away.

5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The grounds for this PGI application are the reputation of the name, which derives from the traditional production process and the skill of the master miller in determining when roasting and milling should stop. Gofio has been made like this in the Canary Islands since ancient times. The skill of the master miller is crucial in determining when roasting and milling should stop. This is a practice specific to the Canary Islands which has been handed down through the generations.

Whether the mill uses mill stones or metal cylinders to make ‘Gofio Canario’, there is always a master miller. The milling time is not programmed. Milling stops when the master miller, also known as the artisan miller, says it should. Modern technology has not altered the traditional role of the master miller, as it is he who knows exactly when milling should stop. It is still an artisanal process, as there is no industrial programming or fixed timing to determine when milling stops: it depends on what the master miller decides. He is the one who knows when milling should stop on the basis of organoleptic characteristics. The same applies to roasting. Each master miller adapts the roasting time and temperature to the type of grain and the quality characteristics of the batch, on the basis of the aroma he perceives and direct assessment of the product as it comes out of the roasting machine. These organoleptic characteristics are described in point 3.2 of this document.

The role of the master miller, whose skill in determining when each process should stop is handed down from father to son, is fundamental to the ‘Gofio Canario’ production process.

5.2.   Specificity of the product

The following historical references attest to the fame and character of ‘Gofio Canario’:

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The first Europeans who arrived in the Canary Islands observed that the indigenous population prepared a product from barley and other grains which was lightly roasted and then ground in mills. The product was called ‘gofio’ by the indigenous inhabitants of Gran Canaria before the Spanish conquest, and the name is still used today (García Quesada, 1998).

—

Especially worth noting is the article by Pérez Vidal (1955) giving ‘gofio’ as the best example of the fact that Latin American Spanish contains Canary Island loanwords: use of the word has spread throughout America to the extent that some Spanish dictionaries define it as an Americanism. The Canary Island origin of the word is, however, confirmed in La aportación de canarias a la población de América (José Pérez Vidal, 1955).

—	Many official chroniclers of the time and many travellers have written about this singular Canary Island food, notably the historian Brother Abreu Galindo (1590-1602), who describes it in Historia de la Conquista de las Siete Islas Canarias, and Marín y Cubas (1694).

—

‘Gofio Canario’ is an original Canary Island product which was and still is the islands' most traditional food, as attested by countless documents and objects preserved to this day in science and ethnology museums, which show that gofio has been consumed on the islands since ancient times: it was eaten by the first inhabitants and is still eaten today.

—	The methods for making gofio are still fundamentally the same as those used by the indigenous population; the islands were conquered by the Spaniards in the 15th century and the conquerors adopted gofio as a basic part of their diet.

—	In his book Cinq années de séjour aux Iles Canaries (1891) René Verneau writes about the importance of this food for the indigenous population and for the islanders of the day.

The characteristics which determine the product's specificity are the organoleptic characteristics described in point 3.2, which derive from the preparation method.

The production methods, the techniques for controlling the machinery, the different degrees of roasting and the recipes for the mixes of the various grains/pulses have been passed down from one generation to the next. Many producers have developed recipes for the ‘best’ gofios, from an organoleptic standpoint, using old recipes with varying proportions of cereals and/or pulses which, according to oral tradition, enhanced the qualities of the product. Control of the roasting and milling process, so that the product has the visual, olfactory and tactile authenticity consumers expect, is performed by the master miller, who deploys the expertise handed down from father to son, as most of the mills existing today are family businesses.

Gofio's specific organoleptic characteristics are basically due to the light roasting and slow milling of the cereals and/or pulses, features of production which are without doubt linked to the geographical area.

All these distinguishing factors give ‘Gofio Canario’ physical, chemical and organoleptic characteristics which clearly identify it and are appreciated by the consumer.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI)

The conclusions of studies carried out to quantify the differences between gofios of various different origins are as follows:

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When samples produced in the Canary Islands are compared with samples produced elsewhere it is clear that there are significant olfactory-gustatory differences. Specifically, ‘Gofio Canario’ has a smell, roasted flavour and adhesiveness that is significantly different from that of gofio produced elsewhere. Adhesiveness is the best parameter for distinguishing texture.

—	There is a clear correlation between the region of provenance and the colour, smell, degree of roasting, adhesiveness and overall quality.

It is the degree of roasting and adhesiveness that distinguish ‘Gofio Canario’ from gofio made elsewhere. These are the parameters that depend directly on the decisions taken by the master miller. The skill of the master millers of the Canary Islands is crucial in giving ‘Gofio Canario’ its organoleptic qualities, thus showing the causal link between the specific Canary Island production process and the specific characteristics of the product.

The distinctive characteristics of ‘Gofio Canario’ have given it a reputation and renown: the countless publications and recipes which use ‘Gofio Canario’ are yet further proof of the link between ‘Gofio Canario’ and the Canary Islands.

Publication reference of the specification

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (3))

http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/agricultura/icca/Doc/Productos_calidad/Pliego_de_condiciones_IGP_Gofio_Canario.pdf

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(1)  OJ L 343, 14.12.2012, p. 1.

(2)  OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12. Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

(3)  Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012.

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